Communication is oxygen for teams

Ihave been working in teams and with teams for more than three decades. Upon reflection, there is one element that keeps coming through with successful leaders and teams. It is the same thing that is brought up in every training session as the “one thing” people want to improve on.

One of my most vivid memories, when I was first confronted with the importance of what I often call the oxygen of teams, dates back to being a trainee in a steel factory.

Every year we would do a stocktake counting tens of thousands of pieces of steel. It was an exercise all of us dreaded because besides being dirty, monotonous and incredibly time-consuming, we had to deal with the auditors who would come and randomly double check what we had done.

This lack of enthusiasm meant coordinating the teams to do the counting stretched all the front-line managers.

The first year I had to take the lead it was going very badly and I was plagued with self-doubt and imposter syndrome. My boss saw what was happening and took over instructing people. He clearly stated what he wanted them to do, how long they had to do it and when and how he wanted the information back. People snapped into action and the entire rack of steel was counted within the hour.

I have reflected on that moment many times. The key lesson is that communication is essential. People like to know, indeed they need to know, the what, why, how and when inside any task. People like to win and leaders need to be clear on what success looks like and how each person can do their part in achieving that success.

When you think about your team, how clear are they on their role in the success of your business? More importantly, how often do you reiterate what needs to happen, where you are at currently, and how individual members and teams are contributing towards the business’ success?

Feedback is one of the essential components of effective communication, and communication is the oxygen all teams need if they are to succeed. A lack of communication leads to vacuums in knowledge and understanding. People tend to fill vacuums with bad assumptions and, when there is disharmony in a team, this thinking tends to make everything more crucial.

Trust is an essential element inside any team and it is the responsibility of the team leader to build this trust.

When people know what is happening, why it is happening, how they are involved, who will do what, when things need to be completed and what a successful completion looks like you are far more likely to build a trusting environment that gets results. This needs to be as readily accessible as the air we breathe. Are you ensuring your team has the oxygen it needs to succeed?

Mike Clark